Worsbrough Common Primary School

Inspection of Worsbrough Common Primary School Bruce Avenue, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 4EB

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Inspection dates: 30 April and 1 May 2024

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The head of school is Kate Ainley. This school is part of HCAT, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Tom Banham, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Alan Richards. There is also an executive headteacher, Rebecca Paddock, who is responsible for this school and two others. 30 April and 1 May 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this safe, caring and inclusive school. They enjoy learning and strive to meet the school’s high expectations of them. This is particularly apparent in the way that pupils behave. The school environment is calm and orderly. Pupils show respect for each other and adults and behave very well. Instances of bullying are unusual. If bullying does happen, pupils know that adults will act swiftly to resolve it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning. In the early years, children are incredibly enthusiastic. They are keen to show adults what they have been learning. Some children showed an inspector how well they could read, while others proudly showed their independent writing. Older pupils talk confidently about their learning in a range of subjects. For example, they have impressive knowledge of other faiths as a result of their learning in religious education lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has worked hard in recent years to secure its place at the heart of the community. Parents and carers hold the school in high regard. They appreciate the strong pastoral support that is on offer to them, as well as the support to help their child to learn at home. One pupil described the school as ‘magical’.

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better?

Leaders take a strategic and thoughtful approach to school improvement. They have developed a curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils. Staff support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to access the same curriculum as their peers where possible. Pupils who access the school’s specialist provision receive tailored support from health professionals. They frequently learn alongside their peers in mainstream provision.

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better?

All subjects are coherently planned and sequenced. Teachers use the same lesson structure to teach all subjects. This contributes to pupils knowing and remembering more. It also contributes to creating calm, purposeful classrooms that are free from disruption. Teachers use assessment well to plan sequences of lessons. There are regular opportunities for pupils to review previous learning. Many pupils achieve well. However, some vulnerable pupils do not achieve as well as they should do in reading, writing and mathematics. This is particularly the case for vulnerable pupils in key stage 2.

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better?

Leaders consider carefully what children in the early years need to learn so that they are ready for the next stage of their education. Children learn subject-specific vocabulary associated with subjects such as history and science. This means that when they come to study those subjects in Year 1, they are well prepared. Adults place great emphasis on developing children’s oracy and language. This benefits all pupils, but particularly pupils with SEND and pupils who speak English as an additional language. Resources in the classroom support staff to extend and deepen 30 April and 1 May 2024

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children’s vocabulary and knowledge. For example, vocabulary pyramids near each activity help staff to structure their conversations with the children.

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Reading is a high priority for the school. Pupils understand the importance of learning to read. Many pupils soon become competent readers. They achieve particularly well in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1. This is because all staff are trained in how to teach phonics and do so consistently well. Teachers quickly identify those at risk of falling behind with reading. They provide pupils with the support they need to catch up. The school works to engage parents with reading. For example, it offers ‘1-2-3 read with me’ sessions to parents. These are well attended. Pupils appreciate the investment the school has made in the beautiful, well-stocked library.

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The school is determined to equip pupils with skills that will serve them well in adulthood. There is a very well-planned programme of wider opportunities on offer to pupils. The ‘WCPS promise’ underpins this. Opportunities for pupil leadership are many and varied. Pupils can choose to be a reading, handwriting or well-being ambassador, for example. The school trains pupils in how to fulfil these roles effectively. As a result, they have a positive impact on the life of the school. For example, handwriting ambassadors use some of their breaktimes to support younger pupils who are struggling with letter formation. Educational visits are carefully chosen to broaden pupils’ experiences and to enhance learning. Pupils have sung at the Royal Albert Hall and have taken part in a local Shakespeare festival. The school uses external agencies effectively to help pupils learn how to lead safe, healthy lives.

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During the inspection, a group of junior wardens visited the fire station to learn about fire safety, and local police officers visited the school to talk with older pupils about the dangers of drugs.

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Leaders, including those responsible for governance, are highly aspirational for the school. They work collaboratively to bring about improvements. The trust supports staff to develop through a range of continued professional development opportunities. Staff speak positively about working at the school. There is a strong sense of collegiality and pride in the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some vulnerable pupils do not achieve as well as they should in reading, writing and mathematics, particularly in key stage 2. This means that they leave the school without the necessary skills and knowledge to be ready for the next stage of their education. The school should continue to focus on developments to improve the achievement of vulnerable pupils. 30 April and 1 May 2024

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 30 April and 1 May 2024

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School details

Headteacher Rebecca Paddock (Executive headteacher) Website www.worsbroughcommonprimary.co.uk

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School details

Date(s) of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils with speech, language and communication needs. There are 10 places available in this provision, which are commissioned by the local authority.  The school does not use any alternative providers.  A private children’s day nursery operates on the school site. This provision is separate to the school’s own nursery.  The school has a nursery, which children can attend from the term after their third birthday.  A breakfast club runs daily. This is managed by the board of trustees.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 30 April and 1 May 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the executive headteacher, the head of school and trust leaders, including the CEO. They also met with the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator and subject leaders.  Inspectors spoke to those responsible for governance, including members of the local committee and trustees.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, religious education, physical education and history. Inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.

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 The inspectors considered how the school caters for pupils’ personal development. This included reviewing the school’s curriculum for personal, social and health education.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school, including at breaktimes.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first .  Inspectors considered the responses made by parents to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. This included any free-text comments. Inspectors also spoke with some parents in the playground. The responses to the staff and pupil questionnaires were reviewed.

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Inspection team

Philippa Kermotschuk, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nicola Witham Ofsted Inspector 30 April and 1 May 2024

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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